What to eat Sevilla? culinary specialties and gastronomy

Spanish hours are different from ours: from 2pm to 4pm for lunch, the most important meal, comida fuerte, and from 9pm for dinner. Restaurants are often closed on Sunday evenings and Mondays. Many of Seville's best restaurants are also closed in August, and even in the last week of July.

In Seville, you can eat at any price, even if on average prices are lower than in France. Rather than the menu del día, which is very common in Spain, Sevillians prefer to go from bar to bar, drinking a beer or a glass of fino, a jerez wine, accompanied by fried fish, seafood, salads, vegetables or cold meats.

Local bistros are the best places topicar, with prices ranging from €3 to €6 for a tapa. It's best to steer clear of the touristy areas and head for La Macarena, San Marco, San Luis or Triana. Once you're seated, it's very common and even recommended to take a dish to "share". What's more, many fine restaurants have a barra, where you can enjoy a tapeo at a lower cost than sitting in the dining room (around €15 per person, drinks included). You can also follow a Spanish habit that emerged during the crisis, by going to the market to do your shopping and setting up shop in a park or along the Guadalquivir. When it comes to more traditional restaurants, it all depends on the establishment. A dish is around €10 to €15, but prices soar if the restaurants are award-winning (over €45). And if you've bitten off more than you can chew, you can take the rest home with you. The doggy bag is not yet systematized, but it won't shock anyone.

Prices are all-inclusive. But bread is generally not included. It will be charged at around 1.5 euros and is usually presented with cutlery, in a basket. If you don't want bread, say "no" when you order, or ask for it directly. As far as water is concerned, a new law came into force on January¹, 2023: all establishments (bars, hotels or restaurants) must offer tap water free of charge. This measure is designed to limit the proliferation of plastic packaging. Theoretically, the service is included in the bill, but we'd be grateful if you'd leave 5 to 10% of the bill as service charge.

The art of the tapeo was born in Andalusia. You will want to honor this beautiful tradition by changing the creamery several times during the mid-day or evening stroll. The Sevillian's guilty pleasure on this occasion: the tasting of seafood or small fried fish, accompanied by a glass of white wine. Also on the menu are salmojero, a cold tomato soup that is more hearty than gazpacho; tortilla de camarones, a crispy shrimp cake; cola de toro, a bull's tail that is often served as a stew; mojama, smoked tuna; and, of course, jamón serrano or jamón ibérico, which is eaten in very thin slices.

Most restaurants offer children's menus at around €10. They will also be very attentive if you wish to make a modification due to an allergy or other reason. Generally speaking, children are very welcome, and you'll be amazed at the extent to which they are present in the same areas as adults, whatever the time of day. For the very young, some have special chairs - ask for them. The freidurías, serving grilled fish and salads, are ideal for families.

After a transition period, all establishments have been non-smoking since January 2011, except on the terrace.

If you see "hay paella y sangria", there's paella and sangria, go and see if you're there. In very touristy neighborhoods or areas, it's best to avoid establishments that are located very close to the most visited places. Because of the flow, quality is rarely there.

The bars for a drink are open all day and often all week. In the evening, they are more like copas bars, frequented after dinner, so rather around 11 pm and more. And they close around 2 or 3 am. It is on Friday and Saturday nights that they are more crowded. As for the snack, the merienda, it is around 6 pm.

Prices depend on the establishment and the beverage. Count on €2 for a coffee (especially a cortado, the equivalent of our hazelnut), €2 to €3 maximum for a beer or cerveza, and €8 to €15 for a cocktail. Nohappy hours, but prices are lower than in France.

The drinking age is the same as in France: 18.

In the summer, almost everyone goes for a Tinto de Verano, a red wine with gaseosa, a Spanish lemonade, and sometimes a dash of cooked wine as well. And after the meal, the chupito, a small glass of liquor, is very common. You might not expect it, but Sevillians, like all Andalusians, are big fans of beer, mostly lager. These are enjoyed standing up, accompanied by tapas (for a fee). On the menu for winter snacks, chocolate con churros: porras especially (large, but quite hollow, but also Madrid-style, smaller and streaked), which are eaten in the street or taken home, and in summer, ice cream or small cakes(tortas de aceite, oil cakes, for example). Pastries have a special place in the local gastronomy, with very nice names: angel hair, saint's bones, ladybugs, etc. Don't hesitate to enjoy the sweets made in the convents and during Holy Week, the torrijas, a kind of French toast, are back.

They are always associated with outings. So you'll see them, even late at night, accompanying their parents to local festivals, standing on stools to keep their heads level with the barra, or just sitting on it. But not in copa bars or discos.

Smoking is prohibited inside establishments. But it is allowed on the terrace.